The Neo-Rakarr: Part One

Related previous stories To be a Master: Aihami's Initiation, To be a Master: A Student Found, and To be a Master: Hidden Powers.

The Beekadoodles were chirruping happily in the branches of the trees, misty with sunlight and dripping wet with night rain, as the ground dwellers foraged for breakfast among the dew-soaked undergrowth. The jungle seemed so alive and awake at this time, and it was the day of the white-belts' first test.

      They gathered together, chattering excitedly or whispering nervously, depending on their feelings.

      "Quiet," rumbled Marko' voice. A hush fell over the youngsters as Aihami and Kokyu strode in and started the test by making them pair up and bow to their partners.

      "Now," Kokyu called, "I want those of you facing me to start by performing the Opposite Paw-Catch…"

      A delighted smile spread across Aihami's features as the white-belts began. They weren't performing with absolutely flawless skill, but it wasn't so much the skill she was looking at as the gleam in their eyes, the lifeforces shining clear in their bodies as coloured glowing orbs of energy, strong and powerful. They were throwing it out, using it fully. And their precision, their spirit, their suppleness and focus…that was what counted in their favour.

      She was so satisfied she turned her head to look out the window for a spell, and that was when it caught her eye. It only appeared for a fleeting second and was gone in the blink of an eye, but it was unmistakably a flash of blood red disappearing into the green screen of leaves. Aihami's throat tightened. If those pets were here, were after her…who knew what would happen to her students…

      She had to do something about it, quickly. Looking across at Kokyu and Marko, she saw they were still overseeing the white-belts, but Kokyu's blue head suddenly jerked up and his eyes locked onto hers, questioningly. He had caught her flash of fear and uneasiness.

      Don't worry about me, she thought. Stay with the white-belts. She poured energy into those words in her mind, keeping her gaze on his. Then she turned away and went out of the door.

      She had to keep those red-clothed ones away from her students. She knew it was most likely her they were after, and if she stayed it would mean they'd have to face off in the training hall, and it was more than likely someone would get hurt. If she could lead them away from this place…

      She sensed a patch of tension and steely intent behind her. They were coming; there was no time to lose. Silently she slipped off among the trees.

      She could feel the pulse of uptightness and steely determination following her. She twisted and climbed through the branches, trying to lose them. But they kept on her tail with remarkable tenacity, much more than previously. There was almost a hint of desperation in them.

      She was concentrating so hard on them that she didn't notice the warning flare in front of her-or else it came too late. Before she knew it she was hanging from the air, suspended by a footpaw caught in a thick rope of knotted vines. A trap. Aihami's heart sank as she chastised herself. How could she not have been on the alert in all directions?

      The red-clothed pets surrounded her, jeering and patting each other on the backs. Wait until they grab me, she thought. Then I'll get free somehow. But then a thought struck her. If she didn't go with them now, it would happen again, and again. She had sensed enough of them to know they were intent in their mission. They would not give up until she was captured. She couldn't risk her students' safety. Better to go with them and find out what they wanted so badly of her; she could try and probe for weak spots then.

      It was more than likely the pets had expected her to struggle and put up a good fight; they seemed rather surprised that she gave no resistance at all as they trussed her, bound her paws and hoisted her onto their backs.

      "Neo-Kido," smirked a yellow Lenny. "What a useless art! If this is what a Master is like when caught, then we got nothing to worry about!" The other pets broke out into cruel laughter at that. Aihami held her peace, breathing deep. Naro-Master had warned her some pets would think like that. Fyora knew Marko had, when she first met him.

     "Think of your students, think of your students," she murmured almost inaudibly to herself, as the heavier branches and vines bruised her painfully through her uniform and red fur. Recite their names, now. Marko, Aragon, Jitterbug, Emlyn, Teken, Manny… She was doing this for them, all of them. "Think of Kokyu…"

     ***

      Kokyu knew something was wrong. He had sensed the flash of wrongness in Aihami's direction, and as he read her glance clearly he thought he could guess the cause of the trouble. Nevertheless he had faith in her judgment and abilities, and had kept on with the test, though he couldn't keep back the nagging doubt that something wasn't quite right about her decision.

      As the white-belts finished their test and settled, exhausted, by the side of the training hall, Marko padded up quietly to Kokyu, a serious glint in his tawny eyes.

      "Where's Aihami-Master?"

      Kokyu shook his head. "She went off in the middle of the test…said something was wrong…"

      "Aihami-Master's gone!"

      The shout was from Keota, the Eyrie kit. Her twin Koura started to clack her beak concernedly as the other white-belts began to murmur among themselves. Aragon the Lupe cub and his friend Jitterbug the Chia trotted up and tugged at Marko's and Kokyu's sleeves anxiously. "Kokyu-Master, Marko-Senior, where'd Aihami-Master go?"

      "I don't know, young ones," Kokyu said gently, trying to push down the rising panic as he felt surer and surer of what had made Aihami leave. He pulled himself together. He would have to, if no one else would. As the most senior member of the training hall, he couldn't afford to lose his calm. Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he addressed his students.

      "Aihami-Master has gone out into the jungle," he announced, hoping that the worry wouldn't betray itself in his voice. "Myself and Marko-Senior will go and look for her. You must all stay here; on no accounts leave the training hall. In fact, it would be safer if you were all in one room… Raz," he broke off, turning to the eldest and most sensible of the white-belts, a red Kacheek, "I'd like you to crowd everyone into the boys' dormitory…lock the door and make sure no one leaves." Raz agreed, and began shepherding the other white-belts, still wide-eyed and numb with shock at their Master's serious demeanour, into the room.

     Kokyu turned to Marko, seeing the same anxiety he felt reflected in the Kougra's face. "Come on, Marko," he said. "We need to hurry." The Kougra nodded resolutely, and after making sure the dormitory door was firmly locked, he padded after Kokyu out into the jungle, seeking Aihami.

     ***

     The red Aisha had leapt into the trees again, as she had the previous day, and Kokyu and Marko didn't have a particularly hard time following the trail of fallen twigs and leaves that her pursuers had left behind. Then they came upon the slightly frayed vine rope, still tied in its noose. Marko snarled softly to himself as he inspected the area around the base of the tree with his sharp eyes and sharper nose.

      "I think they've caught her, Kokyu-Master. And I think she went willingly."

      An icy, chilling fist of despair squeezed Kokyu's insides hard. He knew of Aihami's great love of her students; she would put them before her own safety. He was almost sure she had gone to protect her training hall and its inhabitants from the red-clothed pets. It had been her they wanted, after all. Now the training hall would be left in peace.

      But Kokyu wasn't about to desert his friend. He and Aihami had not met very long ago, but he had come to feel some sort of understanding with her the short time he had known her.

      Somehow, he had to get her back from wherever she was.

      "Come on, let's find out where they've taken her," Marko called, breaking into Kokyu's shroud of determination fueled by loss.

     Kokyu straightened up and faced the Senior. "Right. But after this you must go back to the white-belts, Marko. They'll need you. I wish I had more Seniors in this training hall myself but we can't do anything about that now."

      Marko's nod reassured him. It was clear the Kougra had been thinking along the same line. Together they set off on the trail of the pets and Aihami.

     They had not gone far through the clear spoor of trampled undergrowth and torn bushes before it simply ended. There were no more torn bushes or spots of bare earth to mark the way. It was almost as if the intruders and Aihami had simply disappeared into thin air.

To be continued...